India’s record on religious freedom is deteriorating as 12 of its 28 states enforce anti-conversion laws that officials frequently invoke to detain religious leaders and humanitarian workers. Recent moves include Goa’s plan to adopt such a law despite a large Christian minority, a five-year prison sentence for a pastor and his wife in Uttar Pradesh, and harsher penalties in Madhya Pradesh, including mandatory pre-bail detention and fines up to $12,000. The authors urge the U.S. Secretary of State and the State Department to consider designating India a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act to press for repeal and protection of religious minorities.
Opinion: India’s Anti-Conversion Laws Are Eroding Religious Freedom — What Washington Should Do
India — the world’s largest democracy — is facing a growing crisis in freedom of religion or belief. While China’s abuses are widely known, India’s expanding use of anti-conversion laws is an increasingly serious and underreported threat to religious minorities.
Twelve of India’s 28 states now have laws that purport to prohibit conversions obtained through deceit or coercion. Although these statutes are framed narrowly, authorities have used them broadly in practice: hundreds of religious leaders and community workers have been arrested on allegations of “forced” conversions, and some prosecutions have inflamed communal tensions and sparked mob violence.
Most recently, the state of Goa — famed for its beaches and religious heritage sites, including the Churches and Convents of Goa (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) — announced plans to adopt its own anti-conversion measure. Goa has a population of more than 1.4 million and a sizable Christian minority (roughly 25 percent). The state’s chief minister cited concerns about so-called "love jihad," a debunked Hindu nationalist conspiracy theory alleging that men seduce and marry Hindu women to convert them to Islam.
These laws do not affect only one faith. In Uttar Pradesh, a ruling-party official filed a complaint under anti-conversion provisions against Pastor Jose Pappachan and his wife, Sheerja, accusing them of attempting to convert neighbors through food and education programs. After a stricter law was adopted in early 2024, the couple were convicted and sentenced to five years in prison in January 2025.
Other states have adopted even harsher penalties. Madhya Pradesh amended its law to require a minimum six-month imprisonment before bail can be considered and increased fines up to about $12,000 — penalties that, in some cases, exceed those imposed on defendants in serious violent crimes. Some state officials in Madhya Pradesh have even publicly proposed the death penalty for alleged forced conversions.
The spread and enforcement of anti-conversion laws, together with other policies targeting religious minorities, undermine religious freedom, chill humanitarian and development work, and put innocent people at risk. These trends also strain India’s international commitments and its diplomatic relationships.
What should the United States do? We urge the U.S. Secretary of State and the State Department to consider designating India as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) where warranted by the facts. Such a designation — consistent with U.S. law — would underscore that freedom of religion or belief is a universal right and a shared democratic value. It would also offer a constructive framework for engagement, dialogue, and remedial steps, including urging repeal or revision of coercive laws and protecting the rights of religious minorities.
Authors: Glenn Grothman (Representative, Wisconsin’s 6th District), Vicky Hartzler (Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom), and Asif Mahmood (Vice Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom).
Respect for religious freedom is not only a moral imperative — it is also essential to social stability, minority rights, and healthy democratic norms. India’s leaders should repeal or reform laws that enable abuse and ensure that policing and prosecutions respect constitutional guarantees and international obligations.
